Process of constructing and assembling parts of guns.



No. 727,767. 4 PATENTED MAY 12, 1903.

A. H. EMERY.

PROCESS OF GONSTRUGTING AND ASSEMBLING PARTS OF GUNS. APPLICATION FILED APR. 0, 1900.

1011011121.. I mums-sum 1.

.7 FIGLVIL 1 PATBNTED MAY 12, 1903 v No. 727,767.

A. H. -EMERY.

PROCESS OF GONSTRUGTING AND ASSEMBLING PARTS OF GUNS.

APPLIOATION TILED APR. 6. 1900.

30 MODEL.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FE m

l nvewior l I V UNITED STATES Patented May 12, 1903 ATENT FFIC'E.

PROCESSUF CONSTRUIIIING AND ASSEMBLlNG PARIS F GUNS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 727,767, dated May 12, 1903.

' Application filed April 6- 1900. Serial No, 11,904. No model.)

To all xvii/one it 7)!!! concern..-

Be it known that l, ALBERT H. EMERY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Stainford, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes pf Constructing and Assembling the Parts of Guns,

dining. 12 in front of the bore-lining 5 and a frontgof the chamber-lining ll.

cient ductility to be strained, as desired.

of which the following is a specification.

'The nature of my invention relates to the assembling of that class of heavy ordnance which consists of a plurality of concentric tubes or jackets and to the construction and assemblinganddisassemblingofchambcrand bore linings. Several different examples of construction are shown in the accompanying drawings to illustrate and clearly explain this process in detail.

In said drawings, Figure I is a side elevation of a completed gun, onehalf of which is shown in section. Figs. II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, and VIIl show details of this gun and modifications thereof on larger scales, all in section. Figs. IX, X, XI, and XII show portions of thegun in section, with some parts of the apparatus in section, and the method of assembling the parts of the gun. The gun shown in Fig. I consists of a barrel 1, jacket 2, banding hoop or tube 3, trunnion-band 4, lining 5, breech-block 6, breechsleeve 7, banding-rings 8 and 9, and breechring 10. In Fig. ll the barrel 1 is not only provided with bore-lining 5, but there is provided also a chamber-lining 11, while in Fig. III there are shown the bore-lining 5 and chamber-lining 11 with an additionalbnrei may be strained by the liquid acting on the interior, giving a permanent strain of compression to the interior and tension to the exterior before it is assembled with the jacket 2, and then finished on its exterior and assembled with the jacket 2, as hereinafter de scribed, or it may be assembled with the jacket 2 either before or after this jackethas been strained and then stretched out by liquid or tiuid pressure acting, on its interior until it is firmly seized by the jacket and sufliciently extended to give the required relative strain of tension in the jacket and compression in the barrel after the removal of the liquid-pressure, and these two parts then are finished on the exterior and the interior, the

jacket 2 ready to receive the hoop 3 and the tube 1 ready to receive the lining 5, Fig. 1, or the linings 11 and 5; Fig. II, or 13, 12, 11, and 5, Fig. III, according to the number of these linings used.

A very good way of making this gun is to bore and turn the lioop 3 with smaller diameters than it is to have in the finished gun, then stretch it with internal pressure very considerably,cansing resultant strains of tension on its exterior and com ression on its interior when the fluid-pressure is removed. The trunnion-band 4 and securing and strengthening ring 8 may be placed loosely on the hoop 3 and are tightened in position by'the stretching of the hoop, as explained, and are still further tightened when the finished hoop 3 is subsequently put under heavy strains of tension throughout by being assembled with the jacket 2 and barrel 1, as hereinafterdescribed.

The jacket 2 should be made with external and internal diameters less than it is to have in the finished gum and then expanded, as

strained, but is preferably strained first to with the hoop 3, and then may be assembled as illustrated in Fig. XII. 14 and 15 (see Figs. I, II, III, and ,IV) are smalldncts used to introduce liquid under .havi.ng pressure when the parts. are being assembled or disassembled in the operation of assembling or lining or reli'ning a gun.

' 5 17, Fig. XII, is a supporting-beam of the straining and assembling machine,which su pports and fixes one end of the'werk in position, the work resting at oueend in the supporting-collar 18 (shown in Fig. XII)",and at the other end on a supporting-beam of themachine. (Nothereshowm) Thejacket2is provided with an extension-tube 19, Fig. XII, with a joint between it and the tube closely sealed by the'packing 20, which may be constructed in any suitable manner to withstand the high pressure required in assembling the parts. 21 and 22 are packings at the extremities of the hoop or tube 3, which close the joints between it and the-interior parts.v

2o 24is a pipe bringing liquid under heavy pressure through a small duct 25, Fig. XII,

into the annular space between the tube?) and the interior parts. 7 1 .i

26 is a portion of the front end of the piston-rod of a heavy hydraulic press carrying the collar 27, which centers and supports the extension-tube 19 and forces it firmly against the packing and jacket 2-durin'g the proc-' can of assembling. To avoid making this 30 tube 19, very long, the tubeor hoop 3 and jacket 2 are provided with ofi'sets,so that while the inner diameters of 3 are smaller than the corresponding outer diameters of the jacket 2 it may still be slipped nearly to its seat before introducing the pressure liquid into the :space between them. The front end of the gun is'supported by the straining and assemblingmachiue and operated on by a hydraulic press therein, being 'forced a to the left-v there-- 40 1 by, carrying with it the jacket 2, extension- "tl\be1 9, collar 27, and piston-rod 26, as; the

" whole .of these interior parts move along until the hoop 3 has reached its permanent seat 'on the jacket 2, the pressure of the press at 5 the right-hand end being superior to-that of i, the press atthe other end of which the piston-rod 26 is shown; butthis latter pressure must be sufficient to keep a closed joint at the packing 20. When the hoop 3 has reached its seat, the pressure on'the liquid maybe removed and the liquid allowed to flow out ,vwhen thew parts 2 and 3 are tightly seized together by the contraction'of the hoop 3 and expansion-of the jacket 2. 'To allow of more ready introductibn and removal of the liquid, at q smallspiral groove may be made on the interiortofthe hoop 3, reaching from the duct hoop of the-gun, and 5 the lining to be in'-- packing 31;

.5525, to a point.- at.- or near xthei" packing,- 22.

lhis-groove i-sshowjn in; Eig::XII much tenlargedi to. m akeit (appear. ;in tli esmall-scale; f ivdrawing shown. '-fA't l-e1-tlre part-s11, 2, and 3,: are -as sembled:=and pro perl-y 'stjjai nedthe.- lax-L;- eriorl ofij'th'e gn u may be; finishedand the; 'in- 'erionhored to :receive the :;li,ni-ng .:5; or such; 6 52-, additional 1 in in gs-as arelozibeinserted'i @The 1 p here it. ;alone is usedi is illustrated in} Eiga-IX, where i'ng, whicncons'ist of azconical'collar;34,= w ith a tthinzl-i p 35 {extending.back' iromits'rear, a flexi-blepackin g 36, and afibrous"elastic paegsl hshould. beiwell h'ammered before ,gfiini :but may, if preferred, be made ofrliighlyn-elas- 1, 2, and 3 represent the tube, jacket, and

sorted. This'lining may be inserted before the gun has been rifled or before it and the lining have been finally bored and rifled;.but I prefer to finish the bore of the gun as far as from the front end to the-liuin'g-tube and to rifle it before inserting the lining-tube 5, in which case this tube should also be finished and rifled,care beiugtaken thatitsexteriorand interior diameters are so made that when compressed and forced to itsposi-tion in the gun it will have the-desired size'oi the bore. This linin -tu'be should be of very hard elastic high y-worked steel and preferably inserted 'with such diameters that when iniits seat in its normal state the'compression 'is-Jso. great that extending the walls of1th'e gun by the pressure of the gases in 'firingmit will not wholly remove this strainyoft compression even at the time of liring.- --T h-is-is ines conveniently accomplished by: making the exterior of this bore-lining slightly conicalio'r with 9'0 small otfsets, as shown in Fig. -IX',whercth ree such otfsets'are provided." The-lining-tube; is slipped in until the shoulders-attheismall ofisets on the two piecesreach or'nearly reach each other. To the reartendol this-x-lilfing is screwed the assembling-head; 28, jvhich is secured to the piston red 26, as shown in-Fig.1 IX. A convenient way-of attaching theza'ssembling-head to the lining is to. screw-the parts together, as shownin Figs. IX- ;and' XI. Around the assembling-head :28 is a packing 29. to confine the liquid-at; this .r-p'o'i-nt and; prevent. its flowing away ibe'twe'en; the head. and the gun-barrel 1. To; prevent. -the;liquid flowing between this packings'andjthe :05 rear of the lining-tube 5,fa-ba'nd .30, preferably made of bronze or'coppenissecurd to: the rear of the lining-tube 5 byia metallic The ring or band .30reachesback over a portion of the packing 29, covering the x to joint between it and the lining+tube,- .to;prevent the Iflow of liquid.--;- :Should any-liquid leak through this joint,tit scan pass; away through'the duct 28, (:shownsin :theE'asse'mbling-head 23in Fig. XL) Thewpacking 29 consists of asc'rew-collarf32, screwed fontoithe assembling-head and provided with a sleetge which seats at its conicalzrendr: This-r'sleeve is provided. on its interionnvith a1 series. of -small grooves 331:0 reduce t :e:sura'ce o pres sure and prevent leakingzatithatpoints; .Theannularspace betweenht'he screwmollar- 32 1 and the assembling-head 28-, 'on-:which-:i t is screwed, contains the other'iparts oft-he'p'ackin 55-37;, which is. forced 'forwa ldifllltt on tward .=.by the ring 38 a'gainstzthe'gpackingiiifizand colt-lar f trwi-th :i-tslli p 35 when'the'zscrew-collali 32 isscrewed to its seat. Therrings 23th" may-advisablybe-made of hardb'rbn ing,"

in Fig. IX, liquid or gas is brought under tic steel. The part 36 may be made of leather,

and the elastic packing 37 may be made of a fine hemp cord. Packings 21 and 22, previously mentioned, may advisably be made and applied similarly to the packing 29. Pack ings 3?, 40, and 41 (shown in Figs. V, VI, and V II) are entirely similar to the packing 29 described, and corresponding parts are given similar numbers.

In Fig. IX the assembling-head 28 is shown with anextension piece or bar 42, carrying arifled head 43, which fits in the rifled grooves of'the bore-lining and the rifled grooves in thefinishedpart of the barrel 1. 41 is a packingat the front end of the lining-tube 5, which is shown on an enlarged scale in Fig. VII.

The bore-lining has a thin lip or flange 5 at its front, extending beyond the packing 41, which will cover the joint between the packing and-barrel of the gun when the lining has heavy pressure through the duct 14 intothe space between the surfaces of the liniiig-tnbe 5 and the partssnrrounding it. This pressure must be sufficient to reduce the diameter of the tube 5 sufficiently to allow it to be joints at its two extremities.

pressedforward to its seat. As it moves for ward under the action of the piston-rod 26 the rifled head 43 necessarily rotates with the grooves in the gun-barrel 1-, carrying the linfog-tube 5 with it in its rotation until the latter meets the gun-barrel 1 at its front end, at which time the riding in the lining-tube 5 will match the riding in the gun-barrel 1. The head 43, m ustbe loose on the bar 42 as regards rotation,-so that the assembling-head 28 can'be unscrewed from the dining-tube 5 -w ith ou't rotating the rifled head 43. The dotted: line at45 in Fig. IX shows the reduced diameter of the bar. 42 passing through the rifled head 43, which while turning loosely on the bar 42 may or may not besec'ured to it, as-desired. In forcing liquid through the .d'uct 14 provision must be made to prevent its passing between the surfaces of the members 2 and 3 or 1 and 2, which maybe accomplished by using a lining-tube 46, secured in position by the screw-tube 47, which seals the Before the gun is finished the tube47 is removed and a short screw firmly seated in its place, making a joint between itsconical end and that of46 and sealing also the joint at the inner end of the tube 46. This screw should have the duct '14 continued through it for the purpose of allowing any gases which leak into the joint between the rear of the lining-tube 5 and the gun-barrel l to escape. The duct is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 in the finished gun.

Fig. X shows a section of a portion of the rear of the gun and the chamber-lining 11 being inserted i ito the gun-barrel 1. This lining isprovided with small offsets, one at the duct 14 and one at a point close to the rearof the gun-barrel 1-. The outer diameters of the different parts of the lining are larger they the corresponding diameters of the gun-barrel'in which it seats; but the parts are constructed with ofisetsat the different diameters somewhat larger than the diametrical compression which the liningpiece requires for its insertion. This permits of this lining-piece being slipped at once loosely nearly to its seat, as shown, when the small shoulders striking against each other arrest its progress. To retain the liquid-press'ure throughout its whole extent, so as to reduce its diameter for' complete insertion, an extension member or tnbe'48 is screwed into the jacket 2 and is provided with a packing 49 to close the joint between it and the gun-barrel 1. Instead of-the screw-thread holding this member in position it will often be conven icnt to hold it by direct pressure, as illustrated in Fig. XII. Around the assemblinghead 28 is a packing 29, similar to that shown in Fig. XI. At the front of the lining 11, Fig. X, a packing 50, which is similar to packing 41' in Fig. ,VII, is used. Should there be anotherlining, however, in front of the liningtube 11, as shown in Fig. III, where a lining 13 is previously placed, then the packing 50 will be slightly modified and will be like packing 40, (shown in Fig. V1,) where the screw-collar 32 is recessed for the'overlapping band 30, which is used in making a joint between the lining 13 and the assembling-head when introducing 13 toits seat.

It often happens in assembling parts of guns. by this method that the assemblingthread 51 (shown at the rear of the lining members in Figs. V,"VI, andVIlI to connect them to the assembling-head in assem blingor disassembling the parts of the gun) is not provided. In Fig.X.no assemblingthreads are shownat the rear of the lining 11. In thisjcase and similar onesthe assembling-head28 may have a long'cylindrical lip or Jtube52, extending into the lining-tube 11 and may fit loosely therein before the lining is compressed by the pressure of theliquid or fluid on its exterior. The joint between .the packing 29 and the rear of the lining 11 is covered by a packing plate or band 30, as before mentioned. \Yhen' liquid is forced under heavy pressure through' the duct 14, the lining-tube 11 will be reduced in diameter sufiiciently to allow of its being forced forward to its seat. Its diameter at therear and the exterior diameter of the part 52 should be constructed of such sizes that when so reduced by. this liquidpressure the part 52 will be firmlyseized by the pressure-of the lining-tube upon -it, binding these parts pressure of the gasesp'roduced by the rnaxi-.

nothepermittedfto'any great extent. If

1am .asgemb ta by th'e proce'ss described it will "IIVQ'X," and x11, This grooyewill generally firmly together with pressuresuflicikanttghl:

I lowef the t me being inserted gngextrgheed" J 111th assemb i g-he hic screwed, i ubi theniflte r fiif S a 'y eakPfi -th 'SEJ'Q nt between .the packing 29am;

tlie 'liningatube 11, the fluid 1i in,

'tween two lining' membe-rs 11 and 13 at a place 1 zotirotjnext ,tothebo i, these threads may be.

,lefto'pen, asshown' in Fig. V, where the filler whe'n'used at the rear of the lining-tube '5,- asishownjin FiggVIII, are filled by a linings .25 ,piece. 54, which extends back to the chamber fo'fthe gun and hasprovided on'its interim-a seat or seats slightly. conical, into which is"- ,forcedlby heavy pressure. the fillingiand tin-- iishing piece '55, which. expands 'thesleeve 5, 1 'andlfreariofthe lining-tube -5 to'position and "covers the joint betw'een'them. To prevent i h@3.fl0W0f gaS6S around these pieces, their. j exteriors may be provided with small grooves 5d; j (Shown in Fig. VI I I..) The filler 54 may :".1be made of soft steel or'of hard bronze. The filler '55 should'he made of hard .bronze or, better, of highly-elastic tempered steel and y with such. a' diameter or diameters on its exterior thatwhen assembled in its preper place o ,in the'gun'itfwillbe subject to a" strain of compression suflicient to remain under compression when the. gun is expanded unde'rthe jmuni'jcharges allowed to be fired therein.. shou 1e th'erebe' leaks of the gases by' these parts, they w i'll pass out through the duct 14 gene givenotice of the leakage, which should .necessary; these" p'arts'54: and 55 maybe reoved 'n'd new ones substituted therefor to fr lvj ii th ea a e i lEori the .be tlf' expulsion of all the liquid I. between'the..b'earing-surfaces of parts which 5 5 .he. .best' in general toprovide on theexterior ofthe part whichiis inserted or on the inte- ;rio;or f the part} which is slipped over another 11. the men spiral groove, as illustrated in;Figs.

bill? th e msiaire 58 shows-thesma sp' .al'groove'around the "lil'l'ii g'mfi bs ste-n'ti'al'ly as described. v53 is dispensed with; The assembling-threads a'pa'eking or packings to beused in asofMthe memhenis proyidedwith series of sin the'floxv'et" 'mem ro gt gu hemt h weaselpm.

vinmhne d. gl bi ten on; t 1 1 gng is I -I.clai-m.new therein and desireto securej by-LettersPatent:

sha ews zoiiee 7 t p ve tleek' '1'.@-'The'preces s ofgcon'structing and *assem;

ling 'epa'rts 05a gun, which cons'ists of lorinef legit-lining orinner mem'ber jwith an extelihjhl. diameter larger'than the internal diameter-pf v I th iipart'ih which it ,is to bj seatedy tempofariIyredncingihe diameter of the said ihforced by heavy pressurejbetween it'andz snr'rou nding body, and while" soreduce'd forei-- ingtheihner memberhome. tol it s-seat; shli- The process'of assemhlin'g partsef a gun which. consists in forcing a thinfilmrofgfluid under heavy pressure betweenalining-or-int'ernal member of. a gun and a bodyjsurron'nding the .sa.me;"-thus temporarily reducing the diameter-of the said. internal member rela} tively to that in which it is to fit, and'while so reduced .sli ppi'ngthe said'int'ernal member finto ,its. seat; substaritially as explained;

3. The process of assembling'partsof guns which consists in .iorcing a thin mm, of .fluid under. heavy pressure between the inner sur-- face of an external member and an internal body supporting said pres'sn'i'e,*thus' ex ats. 'ing the diameter-of the "said outermemb'e'r and then forcing the said outermember tdits seat on the inner member while thus expanded, as explained; l

4, The process of constructing'and assehi- I bliug guns or the parts thereof, which consists inconstructing one part which is to fitfinI-a'n:

other slightly conical or withone or more 0E1.

sets, the part ,which isto be interiorto'jthe" other having diameters soinewhatlarger than the corresponding inner "diameters of'f'the part. in which it is to beseated;then'slipping the parts one within the other"iinti1-'stopped by the enlarged diameter'of "the iiunerjpart,

then redh ihg the diameter off-the inner part "relatively to that of the outer b'y means 'of a;

thin film of fluid forced "into the space hetween the inner part and. thesurrou'ndin'g body by which the pressure is sustained-,'s1 i pping the inner member to-its' seatwhile thus reduced in diameter, and theu'removi-ngthez :5. fluid-pressure and allowing'the outer part to contractend the inner partto expand and firmlyseat or fit'theparts together; 'su 'st' n- 'tiallyja's set forth.

with" a tightjoint between-them;slipping the outer member over said-extension piece,' forcing fluid under pressure into the'in'ter- -5: The process ofassemblingpartsofguhs A' 'vening space so as to expand the said outer 10. The process of-inserting or withdrawmember and-slipping the latter to its seat ing the lining or other part of a gun, which while thus expanded; substantially as exconsists in inserting within it an assembling 5o plained. bar or head 28, provided with a long project- 5 i 6. The process of assembling parts of guns, ing lip or tube 52 extending a considerable which consists in applying an extension-piece distance into and fitting themember to be asof suitable internal diameter to the end of a sembled or disassembled with a packing bemember of a gun within which a lining or tween said member and the assembling-head, 55 other internal member is to be assembled, then applying fluid-pressure between said [O slipping the inner member within the extenmember and the surrounding part, sufiicient sio'n-piece, forcing fluid under heavypresto reduce its diameter and permit of its being sure into the intervening space, so as to'reinserted into or removed from its seat and duce the diameter of said inner member and sufficiently also to cause it to seize firmly the slipping-the latter to its seat while thus re lip or tube of the assembling-head, and then as-dnced in diameter, as explained. moving said part to or from its seat.

7. The process of assembling or disassem- 11. The process of assembling the rifled bling two or more parts of a gun, which conbore-lining 5, with the rifled gun-barrel 1, sistsin introducingliquid-pressure, sufticient which consists in inserting within the rifled to increase the diameter of the external part bore-lining the bar 42, connected to the aszo and decrease the diameter of the internal sembling-head 28 and carrying a rifled part part, and allowthe parts to be moved to the 43, extending through the bore-lining 5, into desired relative position; one of these parts the gun-barrel 1, and provided with grooves being provided on its seating-face with a and landsclosely fitting the grooves and lands 7o spiral groove to facilitate the introduction in the lining 5, and the gun-barrel 1, then in- :5 and removal of the liquid used in carrying troducing fluid-pressure between the lining out the process. 5, and surrounding parts, sufficient to'reduce 8. The process of construction and assemits diameter to the extent necessary to perbling of guns which consists in passing liquid mit its movement, and then forcing-it to its under heavy pressure through a small duct seat, when the grooves in the lining will be in 0 leading through the exterior member to the line with and match those in the gun-barrel.

adjoining surfaces of the members to be as- 12. The process of assembling or disassemsembled, suflicient to reduce the diameter of bling an outer and an inner member of a gun the interior member, and increase that of the which consists in constructing said outer and exterior member, and allow the .inner meminner members with offsets or changes in di- 5 her to he slipped to its seattherein, or if in ameterin their adjoiningsurfaccs, permitting its seat, to he slipped out. said parts to move one within the other for a 9. The process of construction and assem part of the way, providing one ofsaid membling of guns, which consists in constructing here with a duct extending through it at or aclosed chamber between the member to be near such an olfset or change in diameter,

0 slipped over another, and a part interior then introducing through said duct fluidthereto, by providing a suitable packing at pressure sutficient to reduce the diameter of or near each end of said member, then forcthe inner member to the extent which pering the liquid or fiuid between the adjoining mits its movement to or from its seat. surfaces with sufiicieti't pressure to separate ALBERT H. EMERY.

45 them and allow the members to be slipped Witnesses:

- or forced together to their relative positions, HERVEY S. KNIGHT,

in the finished gun. HARRY A. KNIGHT. 

